Tamale, Dec. 12, Young women’s groups in the country have called on Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other key stakeholders to support government to criminalize witchcraft accusation and other forums of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in the country.

Miss Ayisha Mohammed, the National Public Relations Officer for Young Urban Women’s Movement group who made a presentation on behalf of the joint groups called Young Urban Women’s Movement, Power to Young Movement, and Women’s Rights Organizations group said government and his partners should enhance their commitments towards the fight against negative and dehumanizing cultural conditions, practices that affect the development and growth of women and girls in the country.

She made the call during the Northern Regional Civil Society Organizations and Media forum on criminalizing witchcraft accusation and other gender based violence.

The forum was organised by Songtaba Organization in collaboration with Actionaid. It was held in Tamale on the theme: “Ending Femicide; physical, sexual and emotional abuse”.

The event was part of the 16 days activism which started from November 24 to December 10 this year was focused on a call to action for government and it’s agencies to facilitate the process and criminalize witchcraft accusations in Ghana which has been a long-term phenomenon and has incarcerated many women into alleged whitches camps.

Miss Mohammed stated that Songtaba Organization and partners conducted a recent survey which revealed that more than half of 52 percent of women living at the camps were suffering from different levels of depression and over 90 percent had lived very deplorable and poor quality of life.

According to her, in the survey 73.3 percent of alleged Witches indicated they want to be reintegrated and the need to close the alleged Witches camps.

Hajia Lamnatu Adam, Executive Director of Songtaba Organization urged the traditional leaders, religious leaders and other authorities to support the fight against Sexual and Gender Based Violence and alleged Witches violence in the Northern sector of the country.

Mrs Esther Boateng, the Northern Regional Manager of Actionaid appealed to parliamentarians to speed up the processes on the passing of the Anti-Witchcraft bill to protect women and girls from violence activities in the country.

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